Everything I've Been Afraid Of
by Darkx143
Summary: They say your past molds and creates you to what you are today. Gogo Tomago knows too well how that feels, but when she and her friend Honey Lemon starts school at SFIT, she realizes that sometimes you don't have to get through your fears alone...only if you can open up to show your weaknesses.
1. Prolgue

Scared. Pain. Sadness. Thats all she felt. Laid on a stretcher trying to look at the scene in front of her. Sirens blared, she didn't notice them. Rain pelted her head, she was glad, no one could see her crying. She watched as her umma and appa get rolled away in stretchers. The car laid in the middle of an intersection on one of the busiest streets on New her parents, she had came out of the wreckage with only a gash on her head and back, she was alive, and they….they were gone. They told her to believe, she wanted to believe, but she knew deep in her heart that they were gone. There was darkness, there was pain, and eventually she woke up in a hospital bed but when she saw her grandmother's face, eyes swollen from crying and grandfather holding her tightly, she knew they didn't make it. "Eun-Kyung, my poor baby," she cried into her arm, "oh Leiko! It's alright… Grandmomma and Grandpappy are here for you!"

Her parents had been too slow.

She stayed in the hospital for two weeks before they dispatched her. She was flown to Sans Fransokyo to live with her grandparents. She was only 5 when she decided to never be slow again.

* * *

><p>Quiet. Bitch. Tomboy. Those were the words that kids called her. She never paid them any mind, she continued riding her bike before someone threw rocks at her and she fell. She had seen them coming...she was just too slow to react. Her knees were scrapped as she laid on the ground while laugher could be heard from the pavement, tears threatened to spill out. "Stupid kids…" she muttered as saw a hand reach out for her and she slapped it away thinking it was a joke. She looked up to see green eyes filled with hurt, "S-sorry, I saw kids throwing rocks at you and thought you wanted help," a light voice muttered. Leiko looked up to see a tall beautiful girl with blond hair, "Hey Aiko, why are you helping the outcast!?" The kids yelled at her. Aiko shrugged and helped Leiko up,<p>

"Hello! I'm Aiko, and you are?" The beauty chirped.

"L-Leiko…," she responded, her voice shaking.

The blond grinned and turned to the other kids, "Hey, if you don't stop bothering Leiko, I'll tell your moms!"

Leiko narrowed her eyes at the girl, "I don't need your help!" She snapped.

The girl looked at her confused for a second but quickly respected her decision and handed her two bandages. Leiko took them and ran back home, tears spilling down her cheeks.

She was too weak.

Leiko was 10 when she decided to get stronger.

* * *

><p>Warm. Happy. Loved. Leiko new in her heart that she was happy with him next to her. Danny, who's brown hair and green eyes seem to capture her attention, he was about as tall as she was and her hand seem to fit into his perfectly. She had never been happier. Her grandparents died a year ago, they were asleep in each others arms when they both had a heart attack, ironic. She had cried for weeks until she met Danny, he was an experience bot-fighter who taught her everything she knew. Bot fighting was her escape, she needed money, and as a genius in science and engineering, creating a bot wasn't very difficult. Danny showed her all the alleys that she could use as an escape route, and when she won, she split half of the money with him.<p>

One morning she woke up after hitting it big in bot fighting. She won huge wads of hundred dollar bills and after splitting it with Danny, they both went to a near by bar to get drunk. Of course he got her in since she was underage but she didn't care at the moment. With a throbbing headache, she sat up from her bed only to find that her house had been ransacked. There was nothing left. She ran into her closet and lifted a board looking for her previously won money, but it wasn't there. No one knew about it but….Danny. She tried looking for that son of a bitch for hours but eventually went home empty handed. She cried for hours until she mustered up the courage to call Aiko for help. Eventually she lived with her for a while until she could make enough money to support herself. At the age of 17, Leiko decided never to love ever again.


	2. The Start of an Adventure

The sun rose over the horizon in San Fransokyo, the birds chirped melodically. Leiko Tomago grunted as she heard rapid knocking on her door. She rolled and fell off her chair, she landed face first onto the hardwood floor and grunted in pain as she held her now bleeding nose, shuffling to the door; Honey Lemon stood there beaming before seeing Leiko's nose.

"OMG! Are you alright?! Do you need some antihemorrhagic? What about some styptic?!" The young chemist dropped the bundles she was holding and started panicking.

Leiko rolled her eyes in her amusingly, "I'm fine," she replied nasally, "now what do you want?" She grabbed a tissue and applied pressure until the bleeding stopped. Aiko's bright green eyes sparkled as she picked up the packages and threw one at Leiko. It was a heavy brown bundle and she looked at Aiko confused. "What is this?" She asked.

Aiko squealed and hugged her, "We got accepted!"

Leiko remembered applying for multiple colleges a couple months ago and was shocked that some school actually chose her. She was bright for her age but her personality had never been what colleges looked for. As she flipped the package around, she saw in bright red and yellow colors "San Fransokyo Institute of Technology," Leiko gasped and gripped the table besides her.

"Y-You can't be serious…" she was breathless.

Aiko screamed in joy and threw a fist in the air, "I know, I know, I know! Our first choice college and we both got accepted in!" She ran and hugged her best friend while Leiko looked at the package, stunned.

"W-what are we waiting for? Lets look at what they sent us!" She squeaked. Leiko has been dreaming of SFIT ever since she learned about engineering. The prestigious school for the brightest minds of their time, and now, she and her best friend were able to attend it together.

They each opened their packet to find a SFIT shirt and a note. Leiko held hers tightly after ripping the envelope open and nervously read through it, it wasn't like her to get nervous but this could be the biggest achievement in her twenty-one years of living.

_Dear Ms. Tomago,_

_We would like to inform you that on behalf of the Admissions Committee, it is my pleasure to offer you admission to San Fransokyo Institute of Technology's Class of 3019! You stood out as one of the most talented and promising students in one of the most competitive applicant pools in the history of the Institute. Your commitment to personal excellence and principled fouls has convinced us that you will both contribute to our diverse community and thrive within our academic environment. We think that you and SFIT are a great match. You will be receiving a full ride scholarship._

_You have until September to register for classes to let us know if you'll call SFIT home for the next four years. Our mission is to educate students in science and technology to best prepare them to solve the world's greatest challenges. I hope you'll agree with us that MIT is the perfect place to prepare for your future. _

_Many congratulations, best wishes for a wonderful holiday seadon, and welcome to SFIT!_

_Sincerely,_

_Robert Callaghan_

_Professor of Robotics_

Leiko could have died right there, she was accepted, not only that but she got a full ride scholarship. Aiko smiled at her, "I'm so proud of you," and embraced her.

"Did you get a scholarship as well?"

"I got a partial one, my family is rich but since my older brothers are going there it's a bit much."

Leiko sighted and laid back against the couch. She was dreaming. She had to be dreaming. Nothing prepared her for this moment; she was bursting with happiness as she finally had a place to call home. She smiled at Aiko, "Let's go celebrate."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Aiko eyed her suspiciously

"Lucky Cat Café?"

"Yes!" she squealed and pulled Leiko off the couch.

This was the start of something new.


	3. Meeting

The two girls sat in a corner by the window. Leiko smiled at Aiko, "Thank you for coffee…"

"You're welcome, you've earned it," Aiko smiled at her and sipped her latte.

Leiko lifted the drink up to her lips and felt the hot cappuccino flow down her throat. Suddenly. **BAM**. The café's door swung open and two boys bounded it.

"TADASHI! WE GOT IN!" A lanky blond boy wearing a beanie yelled. He was

"Fred, be quiet! There are people still enjoying their meals," A tall broad man shushed, "I apologized everyone!" He bowed low and his dreadlocks covered his face.

"Oh relax Wasabi, it's great news!" The blond one grinned

"One time Fred! I spill Wasabi on my shirt one time!" Wasabi muttered.

Leiko looked back at Aiko who was staring slack jawed at the blond, "Uh..Aiko?"

"W-what?" she jumped a bit and looked back at Gogo, blushing a bit.

"Ooh, which one caught your interest?"

"W-what? What are you talking about?" Aiko stammered.

"Where you just looking at that guy?"

"Which one?"

"The muscular well-kept one? You know, dreadlocks and a beard," she pointed to the man with the dark complexions and green sweater.

" No!"

"What? Please tell me it's not the tall scrawny one. The one wearing the baggy shirt with the Japanese Kaiju monster on it…"

"U-um, no way…" Aiko looked down

Gogo groaned with disgust, "You could do so much better than him,"

"Well if you are so keen on that one in the sweater, why don't you ask him for his number?" Aiko snapped

Gogo froze and her face became stone.

"S-sorry, I forgot. I'm sorry!" Aiko bowed as she stammered her apologies.

Gogo didn't say anything as she watched a little boy run up to them.

"Hey guys!" The little boy hugged them and showed them a toy, "check out this robot I made!" Gogo just rolled her eyes.

"Hello Hiro, have you seen Tadashi anywhere?" Wasabi asked.

"Yeah, he's coming down, he is super excited, SFIT was his first choice too," Hiro exclaimed.

That caught Leiko's and Aiko's attention. Leiko almost choked on her coffee, "That blond kid is going to SFIT?"

Aiko shushed her, "Be nice!"

"I couldn't believe believe it either, we both got it!" Wasabi exclaimed.

"And I got a job as the mascot! It's going to be great, the tree amigos together!" Fred grinned.

Leiko let out a sigh and Aiko squealed. "Come on, lets go meet them!" She pulled Leiko out of her seat and dragged her to the middle of the café. "Hi there!" She exclaimed.

The three guys looked at her and smiled, "Hey nice to meet you," replied Wasabi.

"I overheard you guys were talking about SFIT and my friend Leiko and I got accepted this year too!" Aiko busted out with excitement.

"Really? That's awesome! What major are you going into?" Wasabi asked holding out his hand.

"I'm going into chemical engineering and Leiko here is going into mechanical and industrial engineering," Aiko took it and shook it.

"Well nice to meet you, I'm Aiko, but all my friends call me Wasabi," he points to Fred, "thanks to this kid, Fred."

"Sup!" He hugged Aiko and Leiko. Leiko pulled away and Aiko blushed, "So you're a chemical engineer?"

"Y-yeah! It's really cool!"

"That's awesome, maybe someday you can make a chemical that could turn me into a animal human hybrid where I can change into a fire breathing lizard at will!"

Aiko looked shocked, "T-that isn't real science!"

"Not yet, but one day it will be! Maybe I could get one from the government and be like Captain America or get bit by a chemically treated spider and be like Spiderman!"

Wasabi chucked, "Ignore him, he's been asking me for stuff like that for as long as I've known him.

Leiko nodded looked at the little boy, "And who are you?"

The boy looked up, "Hiro, I don't planning on going to the Nerd School like my brother, I graduated a year ago and I'm going to be the best bot fighter there ever was!"

Aiko looked shocked, "How old are you?"

"14!" he grinned and held out his bot, "I'm a genius!"

Leiko scoffed, "Well maybe someday we can battle together."

"Actually, he's going to get in trouble if he gets in another bot fight," Leiko jumped at the voice behind her and turned around to see a SFIT tee shirt. She looked up and saw a teasing smile and big brown eyes.

"I wasn't going to!" Hiro exclaimed and crossed his arms.

"Tadashi!" Fred exclaimed and hugged the boy.

"Hey Fred, I see you and Wasabi get your replies," Tadashi grinned and looked at Leiko and Aiko, "Hello! I'm Tadashi, the owner of Lucky Cat Café's nephew,"

"Hello there!" Aiko beamed, "It's so nice to meet you! How come we've never seen you here before?"

Tadashi shrugged and smiled, "I'm usually here but in the morning."

It made sense; Leiko and Aiko usually came here after classes and work for a quick snack. He was close enough that she could study him a bit and his focus was on his friends, he was wearing a cardigan and tee with sandals and it made her smirk. He had neatly cut hair and big brown eyes that seemed to draw her in. He was slightly muscular and wore an SFIT baseball cap. He looked down at her; her brows were furrowed and wore a concentrated expression.

"Something wrong?" He asked.

She realized she was staring and snapped out of it, "Oh nothing," She felt her face flush with embarrassment. "He's not my type," she though, "no one is." She started to feel spontaneous anger bubble inside her, "W-we have to go, it was nice meeting you!" she pulled Aiko outside and started hyperventilating.

"Leiko? Leiko are you alright!?" Aiko held her best friend, "breathe, breathe, he's gone, he won't hurt you anymore, I'm the only one here, I won't leave you like that fucker."

Leiko was shaking; she didn't want to be abandoned. No more nights in the dark alone. No more escaping the cops. No more beatings from Danny. No more Danny.

Aiko screamed for help, this stopped happening a couple years ago but Leiko occasionally had panic attacks and Aiko felt helpless.

Leiko was choking, she couldn't breathe. Her heart hurt. Her vision blurred and the last image she saw someone picking her up as Aiko was crying and carried her until it was dark.


	4. Awoken

Leiko's eyes fluttered open as she stared at a mint roof with wooden planks. She blinked a couple times before remembering the panic attack that she had. How long had she been out? The window next to her bed gave her a view of the trolley intersection and she sat up. Where was Aiko? Leiko's heart rate picked up she felt like she was suffocating again. Her fingers tingled and shut her eyes and hugged her knees.

"Here," a voice startled her as her eyes opened and there sat Tadashi Hamada, the boy she noticed in the café. He held out a stick of gum, "It helps, trust me."

Hesitantly, she took the piece and unwrapped the foil. It was just regular bubble gum. Popping it into her mouth and slowly chewing it while the sugary syrup ran down her throat seemed to open her lungs up a bit and she could breathe again. "T-thank you…" she stuttered, "Where am I?"

"Oh I'm sorry! You're in my house, my aunt and brother live above the café and you had a panic attack outside and I carried you to get rest. Anxiety does quite a bit on someone's mental health," he looked a bit grim, "But your friend Aiko had to go home, and I didn't want to wake you so I was just working on some work before I heard you hyperventilating."

Leiko wrapped the blanket tighter around her and groaned, "I apologize, and I must get home now." She stood up and grabbed her leather jacket from a chair nearby and started to walk out the door.

Tadashi's hand grabbed hers, "It's three in the morning, and it's not safe."

"Well what do you want me to do?" she popped a bubble angrily. "Who the hell was this guy?" she thought.

"Please, I wouldn't want anything to happen," his eyes softened, almost pleading, "If you really want to go home, I'll take you. Just don't go alone."

She sighed, "Fine, but I need to get home." The last time Leiko left her home for a bit; she lost her savings to a sly bastard.

Tadashi stood up and grabbed his jacket and hat. They walked down the stairs and out of the café before Leiko saw his scooter. Its blue paint was chipping and one of the handles had duct tape wrapped around it.

"I-is that even safe?" she questioned, "We can take my motorcycle."

He looked at her puzzled, "What? Old Bessie here? She can handle anything; she's reliable and safe! Besides, how will I get home?"

Leiko rolled her eyes as he tossed her a helmet and patted the seat behind him, "Well? Are you coming?"

She gaped for a second before climbing on and wrapping her arms as loosely around his waist as she could. As he started the scooter up, it jolted forward and she held him tightly while he laughed, "Sorry about that, she can be a bit fussy at times."

"I'm going to die," she replied pressing her face against his back as they started riding down the street. The bitter cold air slapped her face as he rode confidently. Leiko felt like the scooter was going to break any moment but a fifteen-minute ride later, she was home. She got off the bike and went up to the door, the scooter stopped humming and Tadashi Hamada got off.

"Is this where you live?" he asked and whistled, "Nice place." He grinned a goofy smile and waved, "Well, see you later!"

"Bye." Leiko replied bluntly. "What an idiot." She muttered to herself as she watch him ride away. She hoped that this was the last time that she would see or even hear of Tadashi Hamada but alas, fate has a strange way of working and the flavor of bubblegum never left her.


	5. Drinking

A couple months later Leiko and Aiko started as SFIT and shared a dorm. The room was split in half, one side was pink and stuffed animals and clothes filled that side, and while the other one was full of motorcycle pictures and random car parts.

Leiko stared up at the ceiling thinking about classes tomorrow, "Are you nervous?" she asked her best friend.

"No, I'm excited! Can you believe they have liquid helium and ionized cobalt that I can just experiment on!" Aiko squealed as she jumped onto Leiko's bed.

"Yeah…" Leiko got off and threw a wrench into her toolbox. She was nervous but she couldn't let Aiko see that. Her heart raced just at the thought of her being here and she picked up the picture of her family before the accident. "I'm here, you'd be proud," she whispered at the picture frame. Gently setting it down on the metal desk she put on her leather jacket.

Aiko came up behind her and looked at her perplexed, "Where are you going?"

"Out to get a drink, it's our last night of freedom so I plan on getting wasted and enjoy myself," she smirked at Aiko and frowned when she grabbed her jacket as well. "What are you doing?"

"Well if you're going out to drink, someone needs to drive you home." Aiko grinned and Leiko was grateful for her best friend.

"All right, come on."

As they arrived at the bar, Leiko's eyes caught something she never expected to see, Tadashi Hamada, the cardigan wearing goody goody, to be out drinking with Fred and Wasabi. Leiko turned to Aiko who saw them as well, "Let's go." She muttered turning around on her heels before Aiko stopped her.

"We just got here, please!" Aiko begged. Leiko saw that she wanted to spend sometime with the obviously drunk Fred so she groaned and they walked towards the boys.

"Hello ladies!" Fred said stumbling towards them as he hooked arms with Aiko and she giggled.

"Fred cut it out, you're drunk," Wasabi scowled as he looked at Leiko's annoyed face. He pulled Fred back as Tadashi laughed.

"He thought it was a good idea to get wasted so early," Tadashi laughed as Fred started grinding against a pole and Wasabi groaned.

"I'm taking him home early Tadashi, don't get drunk enough that you can't make it home." Wasabi sighed and picked up Fred over one shoulder and Aiko's face dropped into a pout.

Fred started screaming and crying, "I DUN WANNA GO WITH YOU WASABI! I JUST WANT TO BE AROUND THE PRETTY GIRL!"

"Hey, maybe Aiko can help you with Fred," Leiko suggested as Wasabi struggled to keep him still.

"Of course!" Aiko's face turned red and Fred stopped struggling and gave her a goofy grin.

"Honey Lemon," he smiled.

"What?" Aiko looked at him puzzled as he rolled off Wasabi's shoulder and stood kneeled down on one knee taking her hand.

"You're as sweet as honey and you're wearing a lemon colored headband," Fred smiled and kissed her hands as Aiko stood stunned.

"That's enough," Wasabi grunted and picked him up, "Hone- I mean Aiko you really don't mind helping me take care of Fred? Tadashi can take Leiko home."

Aiko smiled wickedly and her eyes seemed to sparkle when she looked at Leiko, "Of course."

"W-wait what? You're not leaving me with Mr. Goody Goody over here!" Leiko tried reasoning with Aiko.

"Have fun!" Aiko kissed her forehead and ran out before Leiko could get her. She sat down on the stool next to Tadashi and ordered a shot of vodka.

"Starting out strong?" Tadashi asked, he propped his head on his hands and looked at her curiously.

"Shut up, I want to just enjoy my night and forget this ever happened," she snapped at him as she took her shot and felt the warmth of the alcohol take effect. He just shrugged and slowly drank a bit of his shot. Damn did he irritate her. Leiko felt a arm around her waist as she turned around to see a man grinning wickedly at her.

"Hey beautiful, you here alone?" He flashed a toothy grin at her and his breath reeked of alcohol. Leiko stared at him unamused as she stood up, gripped his shoulder, and kneed him in the balls so hard that she swore she heard a crack. She sat back down and saw Tadashi laughing.

"Well, that's one day to deal with a problem," He grinned and lifted his glass up to hers.

She pondered for a moment before clicking the glass to his, "So what's a nerd like you doing at a bar?"

He laughed a bit, "It's my birthday and Wasabi and Fred thought it was a good idea to go drinking. What about you?"

"I just wanted to get drunk." She replied bluntly and looked at him. Black hair fell in front of his eyes and brown amused eyes looked at her. She decided that maybe she didn't hate him that much after all.


	6. Love is weird

**Sorry about slow updates, finals got be beat and I'm struggling to get multiple Christmas specials out by Christmas. I hope you guys are enjoying my story so far. Please review and share!**

* * *

><p>Snow fell upon the eerie grey sky as Leiko wrapped her jacket tighter around her; she hadn't been prepared as the morning was sunny and bright but by two, freezing winds howled through the trees and snow continued falling with no sign of letting up. Her breath condensate in front of her like a dragon as Fred would put it.<p>

"Ugh, Fred," she thought, "Aiko and him have been dating for three months now…" Leiko hugged herself even tighter; she wasn't just cold on the outside anymore but the inside as well. "I'm glad to see her happy…but love, I hate love. Soon she will see that Fred, that goofball mascot, can't reach the potential that Aiko has to offer. But it's not like love has a chance" A tear froze to her cheek as she let out a bitter laugh. Love didn't exsist. No matter how much Aiko wanted it to be true, love was just another shout into a void.

She continued to walk deep in thought and emotion before a squeal of tires were heard and before she knew, she was lying on the ground. The sidewalk edge pressed against her back, and a throbbing sensation filled her head. Her eyes were squeezed shut as the cold enveloped her.

"Leiko?" a voice mused above her.

"Momma?" she whispered back, she felt as if she was choking. Drowning. She tried to reach for the light above but all she was doing was falling.

"LEIKO!" A mans voice jolted her eyes open as she stared back to warm brown eyes full of fear and anger. His cap laid on the other side of the road as his black hair was mussed up with snow. Strong arms wrapped around her protectively as he laid on top of her.

"T-Tadashi?" she coughed and held her head, a lump was already starting to form and she grunted as she sat up.

Blushing red as a beet realizing how close he was, Tadashi jumped away and pulled her up from the snow-covered street, "Are you alright?" He quickly took off his jacket and wrapped it around her, "What were you doing walking into the street like that! You could have been killed, did you know how reckless that was Leiko?!"

Leiko rubbed her head as she looked up at him in confusion, "What even happened?"

He looked at her worriedly checking to see if she had any physical wounds, "You mindlessly walked into the street as a car was coming by and I tackled you away in time. I'm sorry if you hit your head."

"You're sorry? I shouldn't have been that reckless," she cursed at herself for getting so lost in her emotion that someone had to save her, "Thank you."

Tadashi's anger seemed to melt away as he pulled her into a hug, "I'm glad you're alright."

Leiko stopped breathing as she pushed him away and wrapped the jacket closer to her. "Thank you… but I should go." She handed him the jacket and turned to walk away.

"Oh no you don't," Tadashi grabbed her hand and pulled her back, "it's below freezing and you're not walking anywhere in those clothes." He gestured to the shorts and leather jacket as he wrapped his coat around her once more. Unlike her, he had been prepared and layered on four cardigans, that nerd.

She muttered in defeat, it was too cold and she could already feel her fingers starting to numb. Shivering a bit and trying to grind her teeth so that she didn't look weak, Leiko pulled her hands away from Tadashi and walked silently next to him. "Where are we even going?"

He looked down and beamed, "Aunt Cass's café, we can get hot chocolate and hang out for a bit until the snow dies down." His eyes sparkled as he drowned on about how Hiro had built a new robot and how that knucklehead, as Tadashi refers to Hiro as, was caught botfighting again.

Leiko smiled a tad bit she thought it was cute how he protected his brother. She mentally slapped herself, "No, stop these thoughts. He's just some kid who works in the same lab as Aiko and her. Nothing more. I don't need another person to slow me down."

As her pace slowed a bit, Tadashi looked down to see Leiko deep in thought and his smile left his face, "Something wrong?" He wanted to get more than a couple words out of her; even working in the same lab as her for eight months, she was cold and distant to their group of five and he felt as if that was his fault.

Eyelashes fluttering as she blinked away from her thought, Leiko glanced up to Tadashi and pressed her lips tightly. "Just peachy," she muttered.

He stopped pressing on the matter as the reached the Lucky Cat Café. The doors jingled as he held it open for Leiko and him; the loud noise of the streets seemed to melt away as the frosty winds were replaced with pastry scented warmed that enveloped them like a blanket. Getting Leiko seated quickly, he ran to help Aunt Cass make some of the orders.

Leiko looked around as she sat in her favorite spot, a small corner in the back of the café, it was cozy and she didn't have to look at the streets and see cars pass by the ones that killed her family, nor did she have to talk to anyone. She leaned back and tighten the much too large jacket around her, thinking back to what happened before. Leiko had been reckless. Never had she been this reckless, except for maybe once. She had been thinking of Danny as she walked onto the street and didn't even notice the cars.

With the wind howling outside, Leiko looked out the window and saw the snow fall even harder, and she leaned against the chair. Her mistake could've been her last one…if not for Tadashi. Her eyes wandered around the cozy shop as Tadashi finished with the last customer and closed the shop. Aunt Cass thanked him and kissed him on the cheek and waved to Leiko before heading upstairs.

Tadashi Hamada walked towards her holding two steaming cups of hot choco and her mouth seemed to water as he placed one in front of her. The marshmallows were like puffy clouds on a bed of warm choco and a peppermint stick laid against the side of the cup. Leiko picked up the mug and sipped some letting the hot choco burn down her throat and warm her up inside.

She let out a sigh and smiled at him, "Thanks." Her body felt warm as she drank silently, feeling grateful that she didn't have to walk to the auto shop to get her bike back before she could go home.

Tadashi smiled and handed her a warm chocolate cookie as well, "I know it's your favorite, Honey Lemon told me."

Leiko scoffed at the name and rolled her eyes, "That's a bit stalkerish." She laughed and accepted the cookie.

"Pffff, I don't know what you're talking about," Tadashi grinned before sitting down next to her. He noticed her tense up and as he moved a way a bit, but she let out a breath.

Leiko glared at him before she heard the clap of thunder, nearly jumping out of her skin, she looked outside to see a blizzard with occasional flashes of lights. "Thundersnow…"

Tadashi looked at her worriedly, "Leiko you can't possible go home in this weather,"

"You're right," she glared angrily down at her cup feeling her breath catch occasionally.

"Leiko, calm down," Tadashi pulled handed her a piece of gum but she slapped it out of his hands angrily.

"Calm down!? I can't even get back to SFIT to help Aiko with something and then go back to my dorm!" Her vision got spotted as she struggled for breath.

He looked at her and pulled her onto his lap, "I'm sorry but this is for your own good." Tadashi leaned in a kissed her.

Leiko froze, as her breath seemed to leave her mouth, soft lips pressed against hers as she felt tears of frustration roll down her cheek. Her heart sped up as she pulled back and her breathing came back to her. "Y-You…I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU!"

"Leiko, calm down, it was the only way to stop your panic attack," Tadashi muttered, his face as red as a tomato. She stood up and glared at him before realizing that her panic attack was gone and she could breathe again. "I've been reading medical journals since I was ten, I know all the tips and tricks."

Still slightly shaking she touched her lips lightly, "Thanks," she muttered. Her heart began to calm down as she watched the lights flicker slightly.

Tadashi stood up and nodded towards the stairs. "Come on, we should probably head upstairs. You can sleep here if you want, it's not exactly safe to go home and I think Aiko would agree too."

Leiko rolled her eyes and placed a piece of gum watching him smile. "So I see you've picked up chewing gum as a habit," his eyes sparkled with mischief as they walked up to the kitchen and living room floor of his house.

"Would your Aunt Cass mind?"

"Nope," Tadashi shyly smiled at her as they walked up to Tadashi's and Hiro's room and he picked up a blanket and pillow silently, not wanting to wake up Hiro. "Here, you can sleep on my bed and I'll sleep on the couch downstairs," he whispered.

"No, no it's alright. I'll just take the couch. I'll just woman up," she replied quietly, taking the bundle from his arms.

Tadashi took them back, "I insist, you're the guest."

"No, I'm someone who is perfectly fine sleeping on the couch!" she hissed, a bit louder than she intended to.

"Shhh! Hiro is asleep, and I'm going to sleep on the couch no matter what Leiko," Tadashi snatched up the blankets and ran to the living room with her on his heels.

"Hamada, I've worked with you for eight months, I can not insist upon you sleeping on the couch in your very own home," she stubbornly argued as he jumped on the couch and wrapped the blanket on himself.

Tadashi grinned tiredly at her, "Leiko come on, just stop being so stubborn and go sleep upstairs, I'm perfectly fine down here. It's been a long day and I would like some sleep, saving a damsel in distress two times is tiring"

She punched him arm and glared at him, "First thing, I am by no means a damsel! Second thing, you're either getting your butt up those stairs or I we are both stuck down here!"

He smiled and stood up quickly, pulling the blanket around her, and pulled them both down onto the couch, "Stop being so stubborn, but if you're insisting on staying down here, I can't let the both of us catch a cold." His face flushed as she laid against his chest still in shock.

Leiko jumped up and stormed upstairs as Tadashi smiled apologetically at her before falling asleep.

She hated him. She hated him in every way possible. The way he is so thoughtful that he could be an idiot. The way he smiles no matter how sarcastic she was. The way he was stubborn like she was. She hated him because maybe a small part of her heart was finally opening up to him. That wasn't possible…right?


End file.
